Question
how to dispose a battery safely?
Answer
Hello Blythe,<BR><BR>Depending on what type of battery you have, it can be either recycled or disposed of as hazardous waste. All batteries contain acids and heavy metals, such as lead or nickel-cadmium. So, if they are just thrown in the trash, they will wind up in landfills leaching some rather nasty stuff. Best to handle them properly.<BR><BR> - Disposable batteries (the AAA to D sized batteries that power flashlights, alarm clocks, and lots of other small items around the house) should be taken to your local household hazardous waste facility. Most cities have one (for example, Austin's facility has a web site: <A href=http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/hhw.htm">http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/hhw.htm</A> -- somewhere near you probably has one too).<BR><BR> - Rechargeable batteries (the kind that come in cell phones, personal computers, digital cameras, and power tools) can be recycled. Use the<FONT size=3> </FONT><SPAN class=class2>Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's </SPAN>web site <A href=http://www.rbrc.org/consumer/index.html">http://www.rbrc.org/consumer/index.html</A> to look up a nearby store or other place to drop them off -- it's amazing how many places will do it.<BR><BR> - Car batteries are almost always recycled. Auto shops or parts stores normally take them when you buy a new one. There's a description of exactly how the batteries are recycled on the Battery Council International's web site: <A href=http://www.batterycouncil.org/recycling.html">http://www.batterycouncil.org/recycling.html</A><BR><BR>Thanks for the interesting question! (I need to recycle some used batteries I have -- now I know where.)<BR><BR> - Shelly Sommer<BR> INSTAAR Information Center<BR> University of Colorado, Boulder<BR>
batteries<BR>recycling<BR>hazardous materials
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